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Rose, Rose
A famous short story
Unknown Binding
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 27, 2026
Rose Rose is a very short story by Barry Pain, which I read in “The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories”: a compilation of 48 stories which are organised chronologically. This means that the reader can estimate approximately where in literary history any story comes; halfway through would be in the Edwardian era. Rose Rose comes mid-way through the collection, at about 12 hours on audio.
I had not previously read anything by Barry Pain, and would have assumed by his name that he was a contemporary author. However sure enough, Barry Eric Odell Pain was born in 1864 (he died in 1928) and this story was first published in “The London Magazine” in 1910. It then formed part of his collection: “Stories in Grey” the following year. Since then it has been included in several anthologies.
Barry Pain was an English journalist and poet, who was popular for his parodies and lightly humorous stories in various magazines such as “The Granta” and “Punch”. He became the first author of whom the term “new humourist” was used in the 1890s. This described a type of straightforward writing which was published in popular magazines to reach a broader audience. It avoided classical allusions, French quotations or any esoteric references and concentrated on everyday lives and mundane struggles. Usually such authors would both be and write about lower-middle or working classes, and not have attended higher education, (although in fact Barry Pain went to Oxford university). Other new humourists included W.W. Jacobs and Jerome K. Jerome. However Barry Pain was a diverse writer who is now remembered mostly for his ghost and horror stories.
Rose Rose is about an artist, Sefton and his exquisite model, Miss Rose Rose, who is “beautiful from the crown of her head to the sole of her foot”. She is sitting for his great painting of Aphrodite. Rose is a perfect, much sought after model. However Sefton is irritated, regarding her as capricious: an unreliable timekeeper with a common accent, which he feels is not in keeping with Aphrodite’s beauty. Rose herself though, is proud of her professional abilities. As the daughter of a model she knows what is required, and once held a pose for three hours. She earns high fees as a model as she is in such demand. Rose also considers that she tries to speak nicely, and enjoys using long words.
At the end of the session, Sefton reprimands Rose for her timekeeping, warning her not to be late the next day. Rose claims she has something to do first, and also asks for a little money, both of which requests annoy Sefton. He had vowed never to use this particular model again, but she was flawless, graceful, and - almost unnervingly - still. She could hold poses perfectly, remaining emotionally distant and enigmatic. So he agreed, and what Miss Rose Rose then says is a huge clue as to how the story will continue:
So we could not really have been told any more clearly what will happen. Sure enough when Sefton buys a The tropes continue when Sefton notices that his Aphrodite now wears a “slightly mocking expression”, which he corrects to once more be a sweet smile. Is this then to be a reworking of ? But no, this story line remains largely undeveloped.
The final third of the story seems rushed, and loses its emotional power by being reported action. It could nevertheless have been chilling, if events had not been telegraphed so obviously, and we had not been going over such well-trodden ground. It’s a bit frustrating to see the twist coming quite so long before it arrives. It felt contrived and the writing was dull.
I like to discover new-to-me authors of ghost stories, but I won’t be searching for any more by Barry Pain. Perhaps his comic stories are better. He was quite prolific, and a few collections are on kindle for about a pound each, if you would like to see if you enjoy them.
I had not previously read anything by Barry Pain, and would have assumed by his name that he was a contemporary author. However sure enough, Barry Eric Odell Pain was born in 1864 (he died in 1928) and this story was first published in “The London Magazine” in 1910. It then formed part of his collection: “Stories in Grey” the following year. Since then it has been included in several anthologies.
Barry Pain was an English journalist and poet, who was popular for his parodies and lightly humorous stories in various magazines such as “The Granta” and “Punch”. He became the first author of whom the term “new humourist” was used in the 1890s. This described a type of straightforward writing which was published in popular magazines to reach a broader audience. It avoided classical allusions, French quotations or any esoteric references and concentrated on everyday lives and mundane struggles. Usually such authors would both be and write about lower-middle or working classes, and not have attended higher education, (although in fact Barry Pain went to Oxford university). Other new humourists included W.W. Jacobs and Jerome K. Jerome. However Barry Pain was a diverse writer who is now remembered mostly for his ghost and horror stories.
Rose Rose is about an artist, Sefton and his exquisite model, Miss Rose Rose, who is “beautiful from the crown of her head to the sole of her foot”. She is sitting for his great painting of Aphrodite. Rose is a perfect, much sought after model. However Sefton is irritated, regarding her as capricious: an unreliable timekeeper with a common accent, which he feels is not in keeping with Aphrodite’s beauty. Rose herself though, is proud of her professional abilities. As the daughter of a model she knows what is required, and once held a pose for three hours. She earns high fees as a model as she is in such demand. Rose also considers that she tries to speak nicely, and enjoys using long words.
At the end of the session, Sefton reprimands Rose for her timekeeping, warning her not to be late the next day. Rose claims she has something to do first, and also asks for a little money, both of which requests annoy Sefton. He had vowed never to use this particular model again, but she was flawless, graceful, and - almost unnervingly - still. She could hold poses perfectly, remaining emotionally distant and enigmatic. So he agreed, and what Miss Rose Rose then says is a huge clue as to how the story will continue:
So we could not really have been told any more clearly what will happen. Sure enough when Sefton buys a The tropes continue when Sefton notices that his Aphrodite now wears a “slightly mocking expression”, which he corrects to once more be a sweet smile. Is this then to be a reworking of ? But no, this story line remains largely undeveloped.
The final third of the story seems rushed, and loses its emotional power by being reported action. It could nevertheless have been chilling, if events had not been telegraphed so obviously, and we had not been going over such well-trodden ground. It’s a bit frustrating to see the twist coming quite so long before it arrives. It felt contrived and the writing was dull.
I like to discover new-to-me authors of ghost stories, but I won’t be searching for any more by Barry Pain. Perhaps his comic stories are better. He was quite prolific, and a few collections are on kindle for about a pound each, if you would like to see if you enjoy them.
September 28, 2025
4.25⭐
The setting of the story is a painter’s studio, where a talented but emotionally detached artist works with a model named Rose. Rose is described as flawless, graceful, and unnervingly still. Artists prize her for her ability to hold poses perfectly, yet she remains emotionally distant and enigmatic. atmosphere of the studio is filled with heat, charcoal dust, and a sense of quiet intensity. Beneath the surface, something unsettling lingers. Tension builds as the painter becomes increasingly obsessed with Rose’s perfection, he begins to notice strange inconsistencies with her unnatural stillness, her lack of response, and a growing sense that she may not be entirely alive.
The setting of the story is a painter’s studio, where a talented but emotionally detached artist works with a model named Rose. Rose is described as flawless, graceful, and unnervingly still. Artists prize her for her ability to hold poses perfectly, yet she remains emotionally distant and enigmatic. atmosphere of the studio is filled with heat, charcoal dust, and a sense of quiet intensity. Beneath the surface, something unsettling lingers. Tension builds as the painter becomes increasingly obsessed with Rose’s perfection, he begins to notice strange inconsistencies with her unnatural stillness, her lack of response, and a growing sense that she may not be entirely alive.
February 8, 2024
Not as good as his story “The Gray Cat.”
An artist has a model who is frequently tardy. “Don’t worry,” she tells him before leaving one evening, “I’ll be here tomorrow morning if it kills me.” Considering this is a ghost story, you can probably already guess what happens.
(Trigger warning: suicide)
An artist has a model who is frequently tardy. “Don’t worry,” she tells him before leaving one evening, “I’ll be here tomorrow morning if it kills me.” Considering this is a ghost story, you can probably already guess what happens.
(Trigger warning: suicide)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2021
A short ghost story from the early 20th century.
It makes you wonder about this spooky painting.
It makes you wonder about this spooky painting.
April 2, 2023
A easy traditional ghost story but with the setting of a painting studio. With a tragic but poetic ending.
May 1, 2023
When a painter hires Rose Rose to model for his Aphrodite painting, he is chilled to the bone to find out the truth about her. No Spoilers! Highly Recommend It!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews